Preparing Teachers for Education That Is Multicultural and Global.

Overview & Synopsis

Multicultural and global education is a modification of the total school environment that enables students to experience equal education opportunities and develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to recognize the interdependence of nations and understand the interconnected political, economic, and social problems of an interdependent world. This paper explores several issues which relate to implementation of education that is multicultural and global: (1) the need for an education that is multicultural and global; (2) the relationship of multicultural and global education to the educational needs of the whole person; (3) preparation of teachers for education that is multicultural and global; and (4) the efforts of Silver Lake College (SLC Wisconsin) and Northern Michigan University (NMU) to develop multicultural and global perspectives in their students. These two institutions of higher education hold that: the teacher education curriculum for professional studies should incorporate multicultural and global perspectives; education students should participate in culturally diverse settings; and their classmates and faculty should represent cultural diversity. Results are presented from a human relations survey of preservice teachers enrolled at SLC and NMU. The survey questionnaire, which is included in the appendix, addresses general awareness of cultural influences as they affect individuals, teachers, and current instructional materials. (IAH)